Current Gear (Timothy)

I have been running in the Saucony Kinvara since the first version, and by the time the Kinvara 2 came out it was my full-time training and racing shoe. In total I’ve gone through at least 10 pair of Kinvara over the past 5 years. I LOVE the feel of running in the Kinvara, and thought it was the perfect shoe for me. However, after suffering two femoral stress fractures, a hip injury, and a knee injury, I began thinking that I probably ought to transition some of my total training mileage to a more cushioned shoe. Therefore, we have “Training Shoe #2:”

The HOKA One One Clifton would be classified by most as a “Maximilist” shoe, however it actually weighs less than the Saucony Kinvara. Obviously it has a LOT more cushioning than the Kinvara, but the fit and feel is much more like a minimalist shoe. This is additionally reinforced by the low 5mm drop from heel to toe. The big trade-off between the Kinvara and the Clifton is in the responsiveness of the ride due to the thick midsole. This makes the HOKA great for long runs, but less than ideal for track workouts.

While I wear lots of different brands while running, by far my two favorite are Pearl Izumi and Lululemon. If I had to pick between the two I’d probably choose Pearl Izumi for two reasons (1) They have lots of colors for men (2) Their fabric tends to be a little lighter and dry faster. As much as I love Lululemon, it baffles me why they don’t have more colors for men. Most everything is only available in various shades of gray.

I LOVE these socks. Have been running in them almost since the beginning and have NEVER had a blister while wearing them. One pair tends to last me for about two seasons as long as I have several pair in the rotation.

I switched from Oakley to Tifosi for three reasons (1) They are super lightweight and do not slip (2) The red lenses work well in lots of different light conditions, even when running trails under a tree canopy. They are also fototec lenses that get darker as the conditions are brighter. (3) There is a slit at the top of each lens which helps to prevent fogging up.

After several years of surviving a love/hate relationship with the Forerunner 405 and its infamous “touch bezel,” I decided to make the jump back to a button-driven GPS watch. The 220 is better in almost every way than the 405, and has all of the features I could ever want in a running watch. I’m finally able to control my watch again, even when it is wet! It is also lightweight, very accurate, easy to see, and connects to satellites quickly. I find that I’m able to complete 5 to 7 runs between charges.